Iowa's Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra has chosen five conductors as finalists for its music director position, the orchestra announced.

One of the five will succeed Christian Tiemeyer, who will retire at the end of the season after leading the orchestra for more than two decades.

The five finalists are Timothy Hankewich, resident conductor of the Kansas City Symphony; Delta David Gier, assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic and music director of the South Dakota Symphony; Paul Haas, music director of the New York Youth Symphony and assistant conductor of the Brooklyn Philharmonic; Daniel Kleinknecht, executive director of the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre; and Lawrence Loh, associate conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

Each will lead the CRSO in a concert during the 2005-06 season.

"Each of the five final candidates possesses a unique approach and philosophy about what a symphony orchestra should be," said Dennis Redmond, chair of the orchestra's search committee, in a statement. "But they all have a common thread of high musicianship, a vision of the future, a dedication to education and community involvement. I truly think Cedar Rapids would be happy with any of the five."